Carbureter.



No. 654,686. Pafqnted July 3|, I900. w. r. STEELE.

CARBUBETEB.

(Application filed Mar. 12, 1900.) (No IlodeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

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BY I 1 f a 1 7 wflwwrm ATTORNEYS Tu: "ohms runs co. Puovouma, wAsnmm'on. n. c.

No. 654,686. Patented'luly 3|, 1900.

' W. F. STEELE.

GARBUBETEB.

(Application filed Mar. 12, 1900.) (No Mode a Sheets-Sheet z.

ATTORNEYS THE noims was 00, "Ham-5mm" wAsnluoTovL'n. c.

No. 654,68 Patented-July ST, I900; W. F. STEELE. GARBUR-ETEB. (Application filed Mar. 12, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Shasta-Shaet 3.

WITNESSES; INXENTOR M E Qua. fr ,J/zze. BY

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, struction and for which any other suitable I. FFICQ a aauhrmahw wrLnU'n r. STEELE, or new YORK, N. Y;

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sPEcrrIcArIon forming part r Letters Patent no. 54,686, dated my ei, 19cc. ap liance 111a March 12, redo, ffs'eiai to. 3,305. (no time.)

To aZlrohoiztitntai) concern Be it known that I, WILBUR E. STEELE, a citizen of the United States, residingat New York, in the county bf New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements I in Carburetors 5 and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in gas-making apparatus of the type which produces a combustible gas by mixing hydrocarbon vapors with air; and my invention consists in the novel means employed for obtaining thorough mixture of air and hydrocarbon vapors in apparatus of large capacity, in the means employed for supplying oil to the carbureters automatically, and for maintaining proper level of oil therein, and generallyin the novelcombination, construction, and arrangement of the partsof the apparatus.

The objects or m'ly inventi-on areto obtain thorough mixture of air and hydrocarbon vapors'in apparatus of large capacities, to maintain in the carbureters the proper level of oil automatically, and to make the apparatus as simple as possible, comparatively inexpensive, and automatic in its operation. These" objects are attained in the invention herein described and illustrated in the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification, in which the same referencenumerals indicate the same or corresponding parts, and in which- Figure 1 is a top View of a gas-making ap paratus constructed in accordance with my Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of I the same through the center of one of the car invention.

bureting units. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of one of the adjustable float-valves for regulating thesupply of oil to the carbureters, the figure showing also a portion of one of the carbureters. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of theoil-separator, and Fig. 5 is ahorizontal section of such separator.

In the drawings, 1 designates a blowingengine, which may be of any ordinary con-.

means for supplying air under pressure may be substituted. 2 designates a heater consisting of a tank containing pipe 3, connected to'the deliv cry-orifice of the blower and also containing heating-coils 4.

. '5 5, 6 6, 7 7, and 8 8 designate separate carbureting units, each consistingof aplurality fof carbureting chambers or compartments conncc'ted in series, while the several units are connected in multiple to the heater and also, preferably, to the scrubber 9. In the drawings 1 have shown each separate carbureting chamber or compartment as consisting of a separate cylindrical tank; but this construction, while convenient, is not essential, and the several chambers need not be separate structures.

The pipes which conduct the air from the heater 2 to the several carbureting units are designated by the numeral 10. Each such pipe extends nearly to the bottom of the first carbureterof the unit to which it is connected.

In each of the branchpipes 10 is a shut-off Valve 15 and also an adjustable regulatingvalve 16, bywhichthe pressure of the air supplied to the carburetors is regulated as desired and kept uniform. The regulating-valves also serve to divide up the work equally betweenthe several carbureting units and so to prevent an undue proportion of the work being done in any one or more units.

Heretofore it has been found practically impossible in gas-making plants of large capacity to obtain as thorough carburetion of the air as in smaller plants, notwithstanding the use of various devices for diffusing the air as much as possible. Such imperfect carburetion has been due to the fact that when the air is delivered at too-great pressure or through too large an orifice it passes up through the oil in masses, forcing the oil to one side or the other and not mixing properly with the oil, and this blowing aside of the oil cannot be prevented satisfactorily by causing the air to discharge through a plurality of orifices in asingle chamber or by other familiar expedients for overcoming such difficulties. I have found, therefore, that there isa limit to the amount of effective work which can be done by a single series of carbureters of Whatever size. The difficulty may be overcome and the desired capacity obtained by multiplying the number of complete plants employed; but this is not desirable, because ,of the expense of such plants and the additional attendance required. I have found that this difliculty may be overcome and a plant of any desired capacityobtained without increasing the number of blowing-engines, &c., by employing, instead of a single series of carbureters of large size, a plurality of. sets of carbureters of less size, all connected to the same source of air-supply by separate branch connections proyided with automatic regulating or equalizing valves 16, which divide up the work among the several carbureting units as desired. This arrangement is also desirable and advantageous because by adjusting the several equalizing-valves differently it is possible to obtain from one apparatus gas at differentpressuressimultaneously; but in such case of coursethat carbureting unit which is operating at a difl'erent pressure from the other units must be out 01f fromthe common scrubber by means of a stop-valve in its deliveryapipe 14, the gas issuing from aseparate outlet provided forthat purpose and being passed througha separate scrubber. This is illustrated in Fig. 1, in which figure one of the pipes 1a is shown as provided with a branch 36, leading to a separate scrubber 37, a valve 38 being provided in pipe 36 for the purpose of closing said pipe. This pipe 14 is also provided with a valve 14: for closing communication between the carbureting-units 8 and the scrubber 9.

In order to supply to each carbureter the.

properamount of oil and to maintain the oil in such carbureter at the proper level not; withstanding the difference in the air-pressures in the several carbureters of each series or unit, I provide each carbureter with a separate automatic admission float valve 17. (Shown in detail in Fig. 3.) Each such valve consists of a float-chamber 18, having within it a float 19 and having pipes 20 and 21,1eadstem 25 and working in a stuffing-box in the,

topof the float-casing. In order that'in its The valve-stem is threaded and;

normal operation the'fioat 19 may'not have toovercome the friction ofthis stufling-box, the regulating-stem is normally raised, as shown; but when it isdesired to adjust the valve said stem is pushed down until it engages the head of the nut 26, and said nut is then rotated by turning the stem 27. In this way the several float-valves may each be adjusted to shut off the supply of oil to its carbureter when such oil has reached any desired height. The object of connecting each float-casing to its corresponding carbureter at the top as well as at the bottom is to equalize the pressure in said float-chamber and carbureter.

The oil to supply the several carbureters is pumped by a pump 28, which runs continuously, from a supply-tank (not-shown) into a mainsupply-pipe 29, to which andto its branches the several branch pipes 23 areconnected. At its end the pipe 29 has an automatic relief-valve 30, which: opens when the pressure in the oil-supply pipe reaches a pre determined point, as will be the case when all or a portion of the admission-valves 17 are,

closed, thus permitting any excess of oil to be returned to the supply-tank. Said relief valve might be at any other point in the pipe 29; but by placing it at the end a better circulation of oil through the systemis secured.

The gas from the several carbureting units is carried by the pipes 14 to an oil-separator 31 within the scrubber 9. This separator consists of a plurality of corrugated plates 32,

placed close together, but separated. slightly by narrow strips of asbestos or other suitable material 33. The gas passes downward between the plates 32,.being prevented from escaping at the sides by the asbestos strips 33, and issuing at the .bottomof the separator rises andpasses out through a pipe 34. The oil which may be carried with the gas from the carbureters is thrown againstthe. plates 32 as the gas passesthrough the separator and trickles downward,.falling to the bottom of the scrubber, from whence it maybe .drawn 0% from-time to time. I

s I do not limit myself to the number of carbureting units illustrated in the drawings,

but may employ a greater or lessnu-mber, as

may be required by circumstances, and I may also. employ a greater orless numberof carbureters in each of such units. Neither do I limit myself to the class of float-valve herein described or to the other specific features of construction and arrangement.

Having thus completely. described my in= vention, What Iclaim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is--v 1 l 1. Ina gas-making apparatus, the combination, with means for supplying air under pressure, of a plurality of carburetors conheated in multiple to such source .of supply, automatic equalizing-valves interposed between the carbureters andsuch sou rceofsu-pply, by which valves the relative amount of work done in each of such carburetors way be regulated automatically, a pump for supplying oil to the several carburetors, pipe" done in each of such carburetersmay be regu-- lated automatically, a pump for supplying oil to the several carbureters, pipe connections leading from the pump to said carbureters, automatic valves for regulating the level of the oil in the several oarbureters, and an automatic relief-valve in communication with the oil-supply devices.

3. In a gas-making apparatus, the combination, with a series of carbureting-chambers, of a pump for supplying oil to such chambers, pipe connections leading from the pump to said chambers, automatic valves for regulating the level of the oil in the several chambers, and an automatic relief-valve in communication with the oil-supply devices.

4. In a gas-making apparatus, the combination, with a carbureting-chamber, and a source of oil-supply, of a float-valve interposed between such chamber and source of supply, and consisting of a valve-casing and valve, a float-chamber connected with said valve-casing, and also with the carburetingchamber at points both above and below the normal level of the oil therein, a float in said chamber, a valve-stem connected to the valve and having an adjustable nut connected thereto by screwthreads, said nut being adapted to be engaged by the float and lifted thereby, thereby closing the valve, and a regulating-stem, working in a stuffing-box in the casing, normally out of engagement with said nut, but adapted to be moved inward into engagement therewith for the purpose of ad justing the valve.

5. In a carbureting system the combination of a suitable air-supply, two or more series of carbureters, independent valve connections between the air-supply and each series of carbureters and suitable pressure-regulators in the said connections, the whole arranged to permit of any series of carbureters being cut out of the system or to permit of the different series of carhureters being worked independently.

6. In a carbureting system the combination of a suitable airsupply, two or more series of carbureters, independent connections between the airsupply' and each series of carbureters and valves in said connections whereby each series of carbureters may be operated independently, substantially as set forth.

'7. In a carbureting system the combination of a carbureter, a suitable oil-supply, a pump connecting such -oil-supply and the carbureter and an automatic oil relief-valve in the oil feed pipe adapted to open when the carbureter has been-supplied with the desired quantity of oil, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

VVILBUR F. STEELE. Witnesses:

E. H. TUCKER, .H. M. MARBLE. 

